


The Minstrel and the Mime-written for elizabeth_brooks, Sesa 2006

by bellamyrose



Category: Popslash
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-01-06
Updated: 2007-01-06
Packaged: 2017-10-13 07:45:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/134826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bellamyrose/pseuds/bellamyrose





	The Minstrel and the Mime-written for elizabeth_brooks, Sesa 2006

Betaed by the wonderful [](http://shadows-zephyr.livejournal.com/profile)[**shadows_zephyr**](http://shadows-zephyr.livejournal.com/), [](http://raynedanser.livejournal.com/profile)[**raynedanser**](http://raynedanser.livejournal.com/), and [](http://nopseud.livejournal.com/profile)[**nopseud**](http://nopseud.livejournal.com/). Special thanks also go to [](http://poetrychik.livejournal.com/profile)[**poetrychik**](http://poetrychik.livejournal.com/), [](http://strippedhalo.livejournal.com/profile)[**strippedhalo**](http://strippedhalo.livejournal.com/), and [](http://luxshine.livejournal.com/profile)[**luxshine**](http://luxshine.livejournal.com/)for reading over bits and pieces of it and telling me it didn't suck.

  Chris made his way through the forest as best he could with his vision obscured. The thick, silver tendrils of fog licked at his face, and the boggy ground squished up around his worn boots with every step. With his arms outstretched, he could feel the rough bark of the trees he was passing scraping his palms and gnarled vines wrapped his fingers occasionally. The ground beneath his feet was mostly soft, damp earth, interspersed with shallow puddles of muddy water. It would probably be a nice path to take in daylight, but given the fact that he was possibly being hunted by an army of angry townsfolk, night travel was pretty much his only option. Dragging furrows into the moist ground behind him was a heavily loaded travois, with the carrying poles tied to a rope harness around Chris' torso. The miles he had already covered had been difficult and everything seemed to be slowing his way, but he must go on.

Chris and Howie had left the city of Taragone four days ago, and Chris had been traveling as fast as possible since then to avoid being caught. After the townspeople had accused them of thievery, Chris knew that he and Howie would have to leave. Both were innocent of the charges shouted against them, but there was no way for them to prove it. The townsfolk hadn't even given them a chance to explain that they hadn't stolen the chickens. They had already been deemed guilty because they were traveling with gypsies. As soon as the accusations of thievery were shouted, some of the youngsters of the town had started throwing gravel and larger stones at them. Howie had been hit in the head and had not been awake since they left the town. He had half dragged, half carried his partner until he reached the edges of the forest, before laying him gently upon the ground.

After checking to see that his lover was still breathing, he had gone farther into the forest and found two saplings that appeared strong enough to use to make a litter for Howie. With a blanket from his pack and the ropes that Howie used in his acrobatic act, he tied the blanket to the poles and checked it for sturdiness by leaning the poles against a large tree and then laying upon the blanket. When he felt the travois was secure, Chris then fashioned a makeshift harness around his chest, waist and shoulders and attached the ends of the poles to the harness. They had not made very good time, but it was better than leaving Howie there to be beaten or killed. He *would not* have left Howie behind.  

 

* * *

 As dawn began to break, Chris started looking for a place to rest up a bit before moving onward. He found a nice open spot with a few trees overhanging at the edge and began setting up a makeshift camp. He loosened the ropes crisscrossed around his chest and lowered the litter to the ground. Doing a quick check of their supplies tied beside his lover, Chris decided that they had enough food to last for another few days. The oilskin he had filled in the stream they had crossed two days ago when Chris had stopped to bathe them was still half full, but he knew that it would have to be filled again soon. After wetting Howie's lips, and getting a bit into his lover's mouth, he then drank some of the water himself. He retied the oilskin and lay it next to where he planned to sleep. Moving in as close as he could without disturbing his companion, Chris pulled the blanket covering Howie over himself as well and settled in to rest.

Random thoughts ran through his head of how different things would be if the technology crash of 2000 hadn't happened. The majority of the people in the world had voted then to keep things as they were and the use of computers and automobiles was ceased. Deciding to live as their ancestors had, before technology was a major part of life, everyone began to prepare themselves for the changes that were forthcoming. Most of the major industries had been abandoned. Health products and medicines were allowed to continue researching and producing but doing without technology for entertainment was awkward for some people to get used to. Chris himself hadn't had any problems adjusting, but it helped that he was young when the crash occurred. He had heard of some people who missed the advances of technology so much they had committed suicide. Quite a few of the world's citizens decided to pick up the nomadic lifestyle that some American Indians and the Romany gypsies had favored. Others had preferred to stay in their own homes and continue living much as they had been before the crash. Chris had always been the type to make his own way so his parents weren't very surprised to learn that he was planning to travel with the gypsies. Humming quietly, the exhausted young man drifted off to sleep.

Awakening to the distant sound of happy music and laughter, Chris slowly opened his eyes. Judging by the late afternoon sun coming through the branches of the trees they lay beneath, he had slept longer than normal. Stretching out his tense muscles and rolling his neck and shoulders, he prepared to get up and moving. He sat up and looked around to see if he could tell where the sounds were coming from. Seeing no one in the clearing and not hearing the sounds coming any closer, he began his usual morning ritual. Chris lay back down and pulled Howie closer to him. Softly rubbing his lover's back, he began telling him about his journey throughout the night, the things he had seen, and what he hoped to find when they started out again.

They had been very lucky so far, and hadn't happened upon any dragons, bears or any other beasts. Shifting his light massage to Howie's arms, shoulders and chest, he told Howie about the beautiful music he could hear in the distance, and about the bright, ringing laughter that had awoken him. He described how peaceful the clearing was that they had made camp in, how blue the sky was, about the birds beginning to fly back north for the spring, and the flowers beginning to bloom. Allowing himself to relax again and hold Howie in his embrace, Chris lost himself in the memories that he and his lover shared. 

* * *

 

 Chris had come into town with his mother and sisters, but while they were looking through the clothing selection at the mercantile store he had snuck away to the town common to see the gypsies. Howie lived in town, but was supposed to get his chores completed. To get out of doing them himself, he had paid the neighbor's son to weed the back yard, so he could sneak away to go to the faire. They were each wandering around to all the trinket and food booths and stopping occasionally to watch the acts that were performing, while avoiding contact with anyone who lived in or around the town. Being forbidden to be there, they were both being stealthy, just in case someone who would recognize them should happen to pass.

They literally ran into each other when both stopped to watch the musicians. The gypsies were playing a lively tune, just perfect for dancing. Chris started out by only tapping his toes, but soon was overcome by the need to move. Howie apparently felt the same pull, because soon he was dancing as well. During one particularly jubilant song, they backed into each other, while both were still dancing. Instead of either of them falling down or moving away, however, they just continued to dance, with each other and with the people around them. When the musicians took a break, Chris and Howie introduced themselves, and each began to learn a bit about the other. The band started playing again, and back to the dancing they went. The rest of the afternoon was spent with them moving to the music, and taking breaks to talk when the musicians stopped playing. The cirque began closing up for the night, and both Howie and Chris were reluctant for the night to end. They made plans to meet again the next day and both planned to be there, barring plague or other such disaster. They had then left for their homes, each with thoughts of the other running through their minds.

Walking home in the twilight, Chris thought about how much fun he had been having all day. Howie's smile, and his joyous laughter were foremost in his mind, but secondary to that was how many things they seemed to have in common. He knew that he would be able to find out more about his new friend tomorrow, but what he had already learned had him intrigued. They both loved music, loved to sing and dance; both had an appreciation for art; painting, sculpting, and theater, and Howie had seemed to be just as interested in getting to know Chris as he was to know his new friend. When he arrived home, the first thing he did was ask his mother if he could talk to her.

"Of course, son. You can always talk to me," Beverly said, looking up at him.

"I've met someone," Chris told her, pushing his braids back out of his face to look at her. She looked tired and he wished there was a way to provide for her and his sisters, so that she didn't have to work so hard.

"Who is she and when are you bringing her home?" she asked, patting the seat beside her.

"That's just it, Mom. It's not a girl," Chris said, as he lowered himself to the chair. "I met a boy today. His name is Howie, and he lives here in town. We talked all day, and I feel like I could be with him for a few more weeks and still not know all I want to."

"Son, you know that I only want you to be happy, and that I've supported you through everything that you wanted," Beverly told him. "You have to do what's in your heart, whatever that may be."

Standing up, she wished him the best and then kissed Chris on the top of his head. Pulling her robe tighter around her, she headed down the hallway to her room to get ready for bed, leaving Chris to his thoughts. He'd never been the type of person who doubted himself, and she didn't really want him to start doing so now.

Howie was feeling the same way. He liked Chris' energy and zest for life. Everything was amusing to him, and it was a refreshing change from the people Howie was used to being around. Instead of being as straight-laced as the rest of the town was, Chris injected humor into everything he did, whether it was actually supposed to be funny or not. Howie couldn't remember a time when he had laughed so hard as he had today with Chris. Of course, the attraction he felt was more than a little scary to Howie, but he thought that his new friend was probably worth it.

When he arrived at his parent's townhouse, he sat down in the living room with his mom and dad, and watched them at their evening pursuits. His mother was sitting in her rocking chair, a cup of hot tea on the table beside her and was knitting what appeared to be a gaudy orange and brown sweater. His dad was sitting in his favorite recliner with his shoes off, reading a book and relaxing after a day spent at the newspaper office. The sound of Howie taking a seat had disturbed his parents enough that they looked up from their tasks.

"Can I talk to the both of you?" he asked, nervously clearing his throat.

His mother put her knitting in her lap, and his dad laid the newspaper to the side. Their loving eyes and having all their attention focused on him made Howie more anxious than he already was. He was about to take a big step, but he hadn't lied to or kept any secrets from his parents before, and he didn't intend to start now.

"I've been at the gypsy cirque today," he began, speaking faster and softer than normal. "While I was there, I met someone. Someone who is very special, and could possibly become more than a friend if we give ourselves the chance. The thing that you're probably not going to be very happy about is that he's not a girl. His name is Chris and I'd really like for you to meet him and let him show you how he is. I'd also really like it if you wouldn't let what other people think affect how you treat him. I've only known him a short time, but I feel like he's someone that I could spend the rest of my life with."

His mother and father looked at him, a combination of respect, love, fear, and acceptance on their faces. Howie was sure that they were going to forbid him to see Chris again. His mom got up and came over to sit beside him on the couch. Putting an arm around his shoulders, she pulled him in closer to her for a hug.

"Honey, this decision won't be easy for you to live with. I just want you to know that I will always love you. If this boy makes you happy then I'm very happy for you," his mom told him.

Looking up at his dad, Howie saw that he was nodding his head in agreement. Hugging his mother, then standing to hug his dad as well, he thanked both of them for being so understanding and supportive. He went to the bathroom to shower and then to his bedroom to think more about the first major decision of his young life.

The next day, Chris and Howie had met up again at the edge of the town square. Without the distraction of music and dancing, their conversations covered practically their entire lives. Chris told Howie about his birth father leaving his mother with a baby to raise, and about the string of men who had courted her after he'd gone. He filled Howie in about his step-father who had been around long enough to father two younger sisters, but who decided that it was all too much and had taken his own life. Then another string of men who said they wanted to be there to help raise the children, but were lazy good for nothings as well. Howie told Chris of his relationship with his brother and sisters, his sister's life-threatening illness, and about his parents who had raised him from birth. Compared to what Chris had been through, Howie had lived a boring life, but Chris still wanted to know every part of it. After their conversation, both decided that they would like to be considered as more than friends, but weren't yet ready to become lovers. 

* * *

 

 Shaking his head to clear the memories, Chris levered himself into a sitting position. He didn't want to leave Howie, but it was time for him to get up and get ready to go again. He stood and began to repack the few things he had removed from the litter. Getting out a bit of beef jerky to eat for a late breakfast, he then tucked the blanket back around Howie. They didn't have to start traveling until the sun began to set, but the more he got finished now, the more time he'd have to spend sitting with and talking to Howie. Not that Howie was talking back right now, but Chris still felt like he was including Howie in what was going on.

Chris walked over to the other side of the clearing and stepped into the woods to relieve himself. Keeping an eye on Howie at all times, he wandered around the perimeter of the campground, scanning the ground, bushes and trees for anything useful. He did this every time they stopped, as one man's trash was another man's treasure. He wouldn't have the boots on his feet, the oilskin pouch for water, or the ropes being used to help him carry Howie if it weren't for his foraging. He had learned quite a lot while living with the gypsies, one of the main things being that there was usually a good use for some of the things that others threw away. Finding nothing of any interest, Chris made his way back to where his lover lay unconscious.

Sitting down beside his lover, and softly stroking his hair, Chris felt more at peace than he had for a few days. There had been no sign that they were being followed, but Chris didn't plan for them to get caught and be thrown in jail or hanged for something they hadn't done. Chris didn't know who actually had stolen the chickens , but he did know that they hadn't done the crime. He felt it would be best for them to keep moving for a couple more days at least, just in case they were being hunted. Shifting his legs over to the side, he leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on Howie's forehead.

"I love you, Howie. I'll never be able to show you how much you mean to me."

Chris got up from his position and stretched towards the cloudless blue sky. The sun was getting lower toward the horizon and it would soon be time to get moving again. He could still hear the music and laughter faintly in the distance. He hoped that if they came across whoever it was, that they would be friendly. Chris also rather hoped that they would have news from the town he and Howie had ran from so that Chris would know if he needed to continue the grueling pace of getting farther away. In a few days, they would be out of the country, and wouldn't have to worry about running anymore, but until then, Chris wasn't taking any chances.

Squatting down, Chris began to attach the ropes that helped him pull the travois. When he was satisfied that all the knots were secure, he stood up. It was an evening ritual that Chris did to make sure that the ropes wouldn't chafe or rub blisters onto his skin. After standing, and adjusting the poles, he heard a soft groan coming from the litter. Looking over his shoulder, Chris saw that Howie was moving around a little. He quickly untied the ropes again, and lowered the makeshift gurney back to the ground. When he was completely free of the harness, he moved back to check on Howie. His lover's eyes were open, and he appeared to be alert and aware.

"Howie, are you okay?" Chris asked. He guessed that Howie's throat was probably dried out, so he quickly got out the oilskin of water, and offered Howie a drink. Howie raised his head, took a few swallows of water, and cleared his throat.

"Chris, where are we? The last thing I remember was us having stones thrown at us, and running to try to get away from them," Howie finally answered. "Why does my head hurt?"

"I really don't know where we are, love. When the townspeople started throwing rocks at us, you were hit in the head by a pretty big stone. You managed to run almost to the edge of the woods, but when you fell, I had to drag you the rest of the way into them. I made the litter that you're laying on, and have been traveling at night since then," Chris answered his lover's questions easily. "Do you think you might feel like walking?" he asked.

"I think so. Could you help me up, so we can find out?" Howie asked, holding his arm up. Chris grabbed his hand and waited until Howie had his other hand braced on the ground before he began to pull. When Howie was standing, Chris moved beside him, just in case he wasn't steady on his feet. Howie took a few tentative steps around the area where their things lay, with Chris walking beside him for support. After a couple of laps, he felt confident enough of his balance to leave Chris standing alone to see if he could keep his balance without help.

"I'm pretty sure I'll be able to walk, Chris. How much farther are we planning to go?" Howie asked, walking one more circuit around their camp.

"Since you're awake now, I thought we'd try to head over to where I heard some noises earlier," Chris said. "It sounded like someone was having a party or something. There was some wonderful music, singing and laughter. I just hope we'll be welcomed."

"So, what do we need to do to get ready to go?" Howie asked. "I'm not sure how long I'll be able to walk without resting, but if we start moving now, we should be able to make pretty good time, and hopefully get there before it gets too dark."

"We can go anytime, babe. I just don't want you to tire yourself out, so make sure you let me know if you start feeling weak or anything," Chris said. "I'm going to keep the travois together until we get there just in case you need to lay down again or anything."

"You don't need to do that, Chris. I'm sure I'll be fine," Howie answered.

"I'm not taking any chances, babe," Chris stated. "You're too important to me to risk you falling, with me having no way to get you to help quickly."

"If you insist. I'm sure I'll be fine, though. I don't feel dizzy or anything," Howie replied, stepping in closer to Chris. Claiming his lover's mouth in a passionate kiss, he pulled Chris in to him. "I missed you, and I can't wait to have you make love to me and hold you in my arms while we sleep."

"I missed you too, babe. If we're going to get there before it gets too late, though, we need to get going."

Chris set off at a sedate pace heading west with Howie at his side. They walked for about a mile before Chris spotted the dense smoke from a multitude of fires, and started in that direction. When they got closer, Chris could see the tops of many tents around where the firelight came from. He and Howie found an out of the way spot to lay down the travois holding their meager belongings. He whispered to Howie that it was just in case they weren't welcomed and needed to leave the camp in a hurry. Walking a bit farther, they began to see the shadows of people moving around. With a few more steps, they could make out the faces of some of the people sitting around the closest of the fires. They noticed that there were a few same-sex couples, so maybe there would be a chance that they would get to stay.  

* * *

 With his hand resting on the small of Howie's back, Chris walked into the first ring of firelight he came to. He didn't want to startle the people who had made camp there, but he would also rather not be accused of sneaking into their camp. None of the residents of the camp made a big deal about he and Howie just walking into the area, but none made any moves toward them. Stopping at the fire, he looked at the blond-haired young man who was sitting there.

"Excuse me, could you tell me who the leader of this camp is?" Chris asked.

"Hey, Joey!" the youngster yelled, turning toward his right, shocking Chris and Howie with his rumbling bass voice. "There's some people here to see you."

From out of a tent standing a bit away from the circle comes a large man with shaggy brown hair. Adjusting his pants as he walks, he stumbles a bit just before he reaches them. Recovering before he tumbles into them, he comes to a stop. This man is apparently Joey, and the one they need to talk to.

"Hey, I'm Joey. What can I do for you?" the man asks, wiping his hands off on his pants, before offering one for them to shake.

"I'm Chris and this is my partner, Howie. Would it be okay with you and your people if we travel with you for a few days?" Chris asks. "We ran into some trouble a few days back, and I'd feel better if we weren't traveling alone, safety in numbers and all that jazz."

"I don't think anyone here would have a problem with it, but I'll check. You might want to cover your ears."

Before Chris could ask why, Joey let out an ear-splitting whistle that echoed through the stillness of the evening. Every person who was out in the main area of the camp turned toward him, and and people poked their heads out the tents and began wandering in from out of the woods around them.

"Listen up, everybody!" Joey announced, when he thought everyone was listening. "This is Chris and Howie. They've asked if they can travel with us for a few days. Anyone have any objections to that?"

"Are you guys together?" a young man with curly brown hair asked, as he poked at the fire in front of him.

"Yes," Chris answered. "We've been together about 8 years now. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

"Um, no," the young man replied. "I'm JC and my boyfriend, Tony is, um, in our tent. I was just making sure you guys weren't like going to be mean or something, because yes, that's not very nice."

"We've had to deal with some people who disagreed with same sex relationships, and a couple of the people who were traveling with us at the time were hurt. We try to avoid dealing with hatred if possible, especially when it comes to who we decide to sleep with or fall in love with," Joey clarified. Louder, he repeated his question from earlier.

What sounded to be a unanimous chorus of "They can stay", "No objections here" and "No problem, man" came from the people scattered throughout the camp.

"Looks like you guys are staying with us," Joey said with a smile. "Put your tent up, start your fire, and come sit and talk to us for a while."

Chris left the camp to get the travois that he had left in the woods, while Howie walked around the outer edges of the camp gathering up wood for their fire. When he brought back their things, he and Howie busied themselves starting a small fire. They then began setting up their tent and putting their meager belongings inside. When everything was finished, they both got into the tent to organize their things and to discuss how much of their life they were willing to share with everyone else.

Watching his lover as he arranged their blankets into a bed, Chris could feel himself losing interest in what he was supposed to be doing. The tent was small and he could feel Howie's sleeve brushing against his side and ass each time either of them moved. Chris brought himself back to the task at hand and finished unpacking their kits, removing their toothbrushes, razors and other toiletries. He had so much love for his partner that it scared him sometimes. He didn't know what his life would be like without Howie, and he hoped he never had to find out.

"Do you think we should tell them about why we left Taragone?" Howie whispered, as he finished adjusting the blankets.

"I think we probably should let them know, just in case they find out later on," Chris answered. "We don't want to look like liars, if they did find out, and from what I've seen, I really like these people. Maybe we could stay with them when they decide to stop, if you'd like to."

"I don't think I'll have a problem with that," Howie said. "Let's get back out there and meet everyone else. I've liked all the people we've talked to as of now, but there might be some people we may not get along with."

Chris pulled Howie to him and held him closely for a few seconds, before leaning in closer to capture his lover's lips with his own. He licked at Howie's lips until he was allowed entrance, and then proceeded to relearn every centimeter of his mouth. While Howie had been unconscious, Chris had really missed the feel of Howie's mouth and holding his lover in his arms. Kissing until both were breathless didn't take long, but Chris knew that if they didn't leave the tent soon, they wouldn't be leaving for the night. Neither of them wanted to be rude to their very generous hosts, so they pulled away from each other and prepared to step back into the real world.

Exiting their tent, they rejoined the others outside and took the seats that had been left for them at the largest fire. They were all gathered in front of the tent which Joey had emerged from when he had been called. Almost everyone from the largest section of the camp was already seated around the fire, and had been waiting for their newly arrived guests to make an appearance. Conversation was already flowing freely between everyone when Chris and Howie made their appearance.

After they were seated between Joey and a young curly haired blond they hadn't met yet and been handed cups of ale by the blond boy who had greeted them, Joey cleared his throat. Looking at the both of them, he started the round of questioning that they had been both expecting and dreading.

"For everyone who missed their arrival, this is Chris and this is Howie," Joey said, pointing to each of them in turn, and then began to introduce the other members of his group, going clockwise around the circle.

"Beside me is AJ. He's been with us for a couple of years now, and he's also my boyfriend of 9 months. If you ever need something and I'm not available, ask him. Lance is sitting next to AJ. If AJ can't help you with whatever you need, ask Lance. He has a boyfriend also, but Kevin isn't here right now. To the right of Lance is JC, whom you've already talked to. His boyfriend, Tony is next to him. Then, there's Nick, Drew, Jeff, Justin, and Justin," Joey said, pointing them out as he spoke their names. "The other people who are in the outer tents are people who we've allowed to travel with us. You'll probably be meeting most of them later. When it's possible we stay in towns, and one or more of us does odd jobs or sings for money to purchase rations for the next part of our trip."

"We normally spend the winters in our home towns with our families. I have a daughter that I spend as much of my time with as is possible, and Jeff has a boy and a girl that he visits when we pack it in for the year," Joey stated. "Most of us in this group have same sex partners, so we have a scouting group who go ahead to check out the towns we are nearing to see how they feel about homosexuality before we enter them. If the townspeople are prejudiced, the scouts pick up whatever supplies are needed and bring them back to our camp. If they aren't, we try to spend a few days there and enjoy the creature comforts of real baths and beds. The scouting party is usually made up of Kevin, Nick, Brian, Leigh Anne, Cameron, and Amanda, but sometimes we switch out. They're due back any day now, and actually we were sort of expecting them to arrive this evening."

"Enough about us," JC said, "We want to find out more about them, or at least I do."

"I suppose, since there are so many of you, and only two of us, we should do a mini question and answer session," Chris said. "That way, we can skip the boring things that have happened in our lives, and only tell you what you want to know for now. I'm sure we'll be here for a while and we can tell you anything else later, unless you guys find out something about us that you aren't happy with and ask us to leave."

"In other words," Howie clarified, "we'll answer anything you want to know tonight, and then later if you have more questions, we'd be glad to answer those as well. So, who wants to start?"

"I will," Lance said "I overheard you telling Joey when you got here that you ran into some trouble a few days ago. I'd like to hear what happened."

"Chris may have to take some of this one," Howie said. "We had been traveling with a band of gypsies for almost seven years, and were performing in their cirque. When we stopped in Taragone, things were going well for the first couple of days. A few days ago, Chris and I snuck away for a quiet picnic for two, and when we returned to town, we were accused of stealing some chickens. Rocks and stones were thrown at us, and I was knocked unconscious. Chris managed to get us both away and safe."

"So, did you guys take their chickens?" curly haired Justin asked facetiously.

"Of course we didn't take the chickens. We were trying to keep our relationship a secret, and were just getting away to relieve some tension. It's very hard to make love to your boyfriend in a tent when nobody around knows you are a couple. I honestly think that someone saw us and was offended by our relationship," Chris said.

"Oh, we know. It would be impossible for most of us in this camp to keep a relationship a secret. We've all accidentally overheard more of each others' sexual preferences than we ever really wanted to know," Drew spoke up, cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.

"How did you two start traveling and working in the gypsy cirque?" JC asked.

"We met in our hometown at a cirque when we were teenagers. Howie had just turned 17, and I was 18. The tech crash had happened three years before, and we were always trying to find something to do to amuse ourselves," Chris began to explain. "I literally bumped into him while we were dancing to the music that the gypsies were playing."

"We spent the rest of the day getting to know each other, and then made plans to meet again the next day. After hanging out again, and learning pretty much everything about each other, we decided that we made a good pair and have been pretty much together since then," Howie continued.

"We visited the cirque together every time one came through our town for the next couple of years, usually ending up at either the mimic actors, the plays or at the music. After the twelfth time that the Cirque of Varekai came through town, the leader of the group asked us to stay as they were closing up for the evening. He asked us both if we might be interested in joining up and performing with them in the towns they visited," Chris added.

"Of course, both of us said we would love to join them. It was like a dream coming true to even be asked. Chris and I considered it a huge privilege. I couldn't believe that they had even noticed us," Howie said. "So, when we went home that night, I told my parents, and Chris told his mom and sisters. When the cirque pulled out of our town a few days later, we were with them."

"It took us a while to decide what we wanted to do for our performances, though. I was very interested in music, but I wasn't sure that the musicians would accept me. It turns out that I had nothing to worry about. They welcomed me into their group with open arms," Chris said. "Howie was occupied with learning all he could about the plays and mime acts. He pretty much already knew what he wanted to do as well. So, we learned how things worked in the camp, and practiced all the time for the first few months. When our mentors felt we were ready, we were allowed to perform in front of the townspeople, and got to learn some of the other acts as well. We performed with them in the towns for about six years, traveling all over the country, and now, here we are."

"We know we'd be welcomed back home, but after being used to traveling and meeting new people, it would be difficult to just settle in, and not meet anyone new. Plus, we'd both miss doing our acts for others." said Howie.

"It just wouldn't be as much fun to go back home and get a real job, after doing the performing thing for so long." Chris said.

"So, what do you guys plan to do now?" Jeff asked.

"Well," Howie replied "we were hoping to travel with you guys for a bit, to give ourselves some time to think about the future. We have no definitive plans to do anything in particular as far as I know."

"No," Chris said. "we really have no plans other than just seeing where the road takes us and hoping that we can stay safe. I'd like to meet up with the gypsies that we were traveling with someday, but I'm not sure they would welcome us back to travel with them. I'm wary of doing that anyway. There wasn't a single person we had worked with all these years who protested that we were innocent, and I'm not sure I want to be thought of as a thief."

"As far as I'm concerned, you guys are welcome for as long as you want to stay," Joey said. "All in favor?"

A unanimous show of hands was all that was needed to answer the question.

"The scouts will get a vote when they return, but it looks like you guys are with us now," AJ spoke up. "Welcome to our humble abode."

"Thank you all," Chris said, with a cocky grin, turning to shake Joey's hand, and then leaning over to grasp AJ's. "You guys are great."

"And now, we drink. To good health, good wealth, and love," said Joey. "Pass around the bottles, people, we've got some celebrating to do."

The clank of the bottles rang out through the night, breaking up the quiet. Wind whistled through the trees carrying the swirls, wisps and rings of smoke farther into the sky. The calls of the crickets and bull frogs were secondary to the boisterous voices and happy laughter that echoed through the trees. A multitude of different voices were trying to make themselves heard over each other, and the crackling of the fire made an interesting symphony of sound.

Everyone drank more than they probably needed of the alcohol that was flowing freely, and most topics of conversation had been covered. Things slowly began to settle down for the evening. The voices quieted to mumbles and the laughter transformed into soft smiles and giggles. When the sounds from the forest began to overtake the noises from the camp, everyone began pairing off with their partners and heading for their tents. It wasn't long before everyone whom they had talked to were already abed, leaving Chris and Howie to the quietness of the night.

Softly running his fingers through Howie's shoulder-length hair, Chris lay his head upon his lover's arm. Enjoying the closeness of their bodies and breathing in the scent of his lover, Chris finally let himself relax. He had done much the same thing while Howie was unconscious, but it felt so much better now. The good feelings were being increased by Howie holding on to his other hand and twining Chris' braids through his fingers. He had never felt as secure as he did right at this moment.

Muffled moans and the sound of skin slapping against skin broke up the quiet of the evening. Chris tried to block out the noises, but when he heard someone say "Oh, yes. Harder.", he couldn't resist letting out a giggle. He and Howie sat quietly for a few more moments, but the noises and sounds of lovemaking throughout the camp were erotic, and it had been too long. With a sigh, Chris pulled himself to stand and Howie up with him.

"Are you ready for bed?" he asked Howie in a whisper, a hungry look on his face. "I've missed you, missed making love to you."

"I am, and I've missed you as well," Howie replied, moving closer to his lover's body, and reveling in the closeness that they hadn't gotten to share in far too long. Leaning into the heat radiating from Chris, Howie could feel his reservations about having sex tonight disappear. He had been unsure of how they would be treated when they first arrived, and had kept his desire in check. He hadn't allowed himself to want Chris as desperately as he felt. It really wasn't helping his lust to hear the sounds of practically everyone else in the camp making love, either.

Pulling Howie's face closer to his, Chris began licking at his lover's lips, silently asking for entrance. When he felt Howie begin to respond, he deepened the kiss and made love to Howie's mouth. He bit back a moan at the very vocal proof of sex going on around them, and steered Howie closer to their tent. Releasing his lover's swollen lips, Chris opened up the flap of their tent, and tugged Howie's hand until he followed him inside.

Their tent isn't large, and there's barely enough room for them to both be inside it at once, but the intimacy of the closeness is wonderful. Touching and being touched at the same time because of the proximity leads to teasing fingers and stroking hands. With a strangled gasp, Chris had to remove Howie's hand from where it came to rest on his upper thigh. If he hadn't, he was going to come, and that wasn't how he wanted this night to end. He wanted to make love to Howie, and he wanted to do it right.

Chris stretched Howie out on the makeshift bed and began to unbutton the shirt his lover was wearing. Bending his head, he tasted the skin he was uncovering. Licking Howie's collarbone brought forth a hungry moan, so Chris continued his journey. Laving the nipples that he uncovered next made Howie arch up into the teasing flicks of his tongue and raise his hands to rest on Chris' head. Every button undone revealed more tanned and toned skin to taste, and Chris took advantage of that. He stroked his tongue across every inch of skin that was uncovered. The line of skin covering the lower rib was very sensitive and made Howie squirm, and when Chris moved his attention to Howie's navel, the motions became more random and needy. Rising to his knees, Chris leaned in to kiss Howie thoroughly while removing the shirt from his arms.

Letting his fingers trail over the bare skin of Howie's torso left a tingle on the skin that had touched his lover. When his hands reached the waistband of Howie's jeans, Chris paused to take a calming breath. Inhaling deeply, Chris moved his hand to cover the button on the jeans and began to ease the fastening from its hole. With a slight tug the button was freed and the zipper began sliding down on its own. The hardness that was encased within the confines of the jeans helped its descent. Running his hand over the flesh encased in the material, Chris then began to tug the jeans down over his lover's hips. When Howie's hips were exposed to the open air, Chris tasted the newly bared skin. Pulling back to continue undressing his lover, he removed the obstacle in his way. Chris made it his personal mission to remove all the clothing that was blocking direct contact with his lover's skin. When Howie was bared and spread out before him, he divested himself of his own offending clothing as well.

The sounds of sex still drifted through the thin fabric walls of the tent, but nothing was going to distract Chris from finally making love to Howie again. Lying down next to his lover, he tasted again the skin that he had already bathed, and finally moved lower. Running his tongue along the ridge of muscle that separated torso from thigh, Chris could feel Howie's breath catch and stutter. Taking that as a good thing, Chris moved farther down and began nuzzling against the hardness that he'd been wanting, his braids brushing against Howie's thighs along the way. Taking a moment to savor the scent of musk and man, Chris licked a stripe up his lover's cock, from base to tip. Howie let out a loud moan and pushed his hips upward, craving more of the attention. Raising his hand to rub at the soft skin covering Howie's balls, Chris could feel them tightening with each touch. Taking Howie's erection in his mouth, he began to enjoy the taste, texture and feel of his lover. While they were traveling, they hadn't had time to make love the right way. having to be quick and quiet so they wouldn't be discovered, so it was a special treat to get to enjoy and savor each moment.

Sucking softly at the head before running his tongue along the shaft, Chris moistened the length that he held inside his mouth. Lowering his head to take more of the velvet steel into his mouth, he used his hand to stroke what wouldn't fit. With just a few strokes of Chris' hand and the tight heat of his mouth, Howie cried out for more. His lover was happy to comply with that request. Stroking his tongue along the vein that trailed up the underside of the shaft, Chris used his other hand to stroke Howie's thighs. The braids tickling added to the sensation, and it wasn't long before Howie was begging for release. Chris felt the pulses of his lover's erection, and it only took a couple more flicks of his tongue before Howie was coming in his mouth.

Resting his head on Howie's thigh for a few moments to give them both time to catch their breaths, Chris thought back to the first time he had done this for Howie. It had been about a year after they first met, and they had crept away for an afternoon. Howie had abandoned his chores, Chris had left his mom and sisters bonding over clothes, and they had met up at the small stream that ran along the outskirts of town. The air had been charged with electricity, and their desire for each other was obvious to anyone who cared to look closely enough. As luck would have it, not many cared to examine them that closely. When Chris had regained his breath, and had calmed down a bit, he moved up to kiss Howie, plundering his lover's mouth, and making them both moan.

With teasing touches, Chris ran his hands up and over Howie's chest and arms. He was hard and wanting, but he also wanted to make sure that it was good for Howie as well. Lying down with his own erection rubbing against his lover's hip was enough for now. The need he felt wasn't urgent, but he wouldn't complain if his orgasm came fairly soon either. Howie seemed to enjoy the touches as well, moaning softly at the light brushes of Chris' hand against his sensitized skin. It had been far too long since they had shared this closeness, both of then just relishing the feel of flesh on flesh.

"Chris, make love to me, please?" Howie whispered, raising his hand to push the braids back and stroke Chris' face.

"Are you sure you want to right now?" Chris asked, cocking his head to the side to indicate the noises that were still coming from outside their tent. "If I do, you know we won't be able to keep it quiet, and they'll probably hear us."

"I don't care," Howie replied, pulling Chris over him, "I just want to feel you."

With a plea like that, Chris was in no position to argue, not that he wanted to anyway. He held himself away from Howie for a moment to reach over to his bag and get the lube out. Using his thumb, he popped open the cap, and squirted a bit out on his fingers. Lowering his head again to recapture Howie's mouth, Chris used his fingers to prepare his lover for what was to come. The sighs and moans that he was hearing from Howie were a pretty good indication that Howie was liking the intrusion, as was the way his hips were raising and lowering on Chris' fingers. When he had worked his way up to using three fingers, Chris pulled his mouth away from Howie's.

"Are you sure?" Chris asked, giving Howie one last chance to change his mind.

"I'm very sure, babe," Howie told him. "I want you and I want this. Make love to me."

Chris fought the last of his control and reached down to smear the rest of the lube on himself. Raising Howie's leg, he positioned himself and began pushing inward, into the tight, slick, contracting heat. Bracing his hands on either side of Howie, he pushed his way deeper inside and when he reached the end, he leaned down to kiss Howie again. He felt the slick slide of his tongue over soft lips and then was allowed farther inside the hot wet cavern of Howie's mouth. He licked over Howie's teeth and then twining their tongues Making love to Howie's mouth while he did the same to his lover's ass was a somewhat new experience. They had never had the time or the privacy to do it like this before. Using short, rapid strokes alternating with long, slow strokes, Chris kept going until he felt himself getting ready to come. Slowing all of his movements until he was just barely moving inside Howie, he regained some of his own control before repeating the cycle. Long and deep, short and slow, filling Howie with the long thrusts and then teasing him with the short strokes.

Chris propped himself up on one elbow to look down at his lover. Howie's warm brown eyes met his own as the tension built to almost intolerable levels. With the hand that wasn't supporting his weight, he reached down to touch Howie's renewed erection, and wrapped his fingers around the silky length. Using the same motion with his hands as he was with his hips, it didn't take him long to make Howie explode. He followed closely behind with his own release, and then kissed Howie again, making love with his mouth. The glide and slide of his tongue inside Howie's mouth made both of them gasp.  
Wiping his fingers off on the blanket, Chris then threaded his fingers through Howie's dark brown hair. With a practiced move, he gently smoothed out the waves and removed any tangles that he found. Howie reached up to cup his face and then slid down his arms and shoulders before wandering on down to rest on Chris' hip. Looking deep into his lover's eyes, Chris could feel the love that Howie had for him. He vowed to try his best to keep that love and do anything that was in his power to make Howie happy.

"I love you so much," Chris whispered, stroking his thumbs over Howie's cheekbones.

"As I love you," Howie replied, a soft look on his face "I'm truly shocked by how much you care for me. It's a tangible thing. I feel it when you look at me, when you touch me, even when you're only thinking about me. You're love has swept me away."

"I know that we've been through some things that haven't always been safe and happy, but I promise you that I will do my best to never see you hurt again. It really scared me when you didn't wake up. I just can't help it, I love you so much that it terrifies me, the lengths that I would willingly go to make you happy. I would do anything for you, and I hope you know that."

"I do, Chris. I know."  



End file.
